Unknown Session #1: Identity Crisis
by The Infamous Kid Pixie
Summary: Spike captures a bounty head on Jupiter that turns out to be far trickier than he had expected. To make things worse, she is connected to the Red Dragon Syndicate, or more specifically, Vicious.
1. Vanishing Act

_Title: Unknown Session # 1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter: 1_

_Author: The Infamous Kid Pixie_

_Disclaimer: Look here, you lot, there are a lot of things I do own, like t-shirts and sneakers, but Cowboy Bebop isn't one of those things. I don't own any of its rights, and even if you tried to sue me, it wouldn't do you any good. I'd have to pay you in socks and bubble gum, because I have no money! _

_Author's Note: Howdy Ya'll (forgive the accent, I borrowed it form my friend the Dixie Artist)! I've actually been on the Fanfiction.net server for quite some time, but I decided not to post anything until I was happy with my writing ability. I'm happy with it now, but I would still love it if you all would criticize my writing style or even my story. You aren't going to hurt my feelings, I would actually be really grateful. Just don't flame me unless you are prepared to give a reason. Thanks!_

_Unknown Session #1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter 1_

Jupiter was quiet that night.

            It was unusual for Jupiter to be so still. Typically, it was a bustling, teeming melting pot of sexually frustrated men and street merchants selling their wares for criminally high prices. However, that night, the alleys and avenues were strangely devoid of life, save the haggard man on the corner playing the blues on his harmonica.

            Then again, there was Spike. He wandered around, seemingly without purpose, casually taking a drag from his cigarette every few minutes and glancing around as if he were bored. To the casual eye, he was nothing more than a freeloader, a drifter that traveled from planet to planet and had no proper home. Yet the cautious eyes of bounty heads knew better; this was Spike Spiegel, bounty hunter extraordinaire. 

            It just so happened that there was a bounty head on Jupiter that night. Spike knew about it, of course, that was why he was on Jupiter in the first place. The failing light illuminated the dreary buildings of the ghostly silent city, lending it a soft quality that did little to beautify the drab surroundings. A ray of scarlet fell across a plywood sign that simply proclaimed 'bar.' Spike grinned at the old man on the corner, tossed him a coin, and headed into the dingy looking joint.

            As soon as the door opened, the activity in the bar screeched to a dead halt. Half of the customers in the place had bounties on their heads, and they were extremely suspicious of unfamiliar people. Spike scanned the room carelessly, flashing cocky smiles at the most nervous men in the room. They had bounties on them, sure, but they were chump change compared to the one he was after tonight. The crowd at the tables relaxed, taking a liking to the fuzzy haired man who smiled too much. Gradually the buzz of conversation resumed, and Spike could move to the bar without notice. There was an inconspicuous corner seat that he staked out instantly. He ordered a Bacardi and Coke, made himself a prairie oyster, and prepared to unwind until the bounty head showed up. 

            He didn't have to wait long. Close to half an hour later, a tall, dark haired man entered the bar. The bar's occupants responded to him much in the same way they did Spike, but they calmed only because he had a guitar hanging at his side. _Disguised as a musician. Spike thought. __Very clever, but not quite clever enough. Glancing upward over the rim of his glass, Spike smirked at the man in the doorway. The tall man wasn't short of nerve, because he smiled right back, a cold smile that failed to reach his eyes. _

            Brazenly, the man strode, or more correctly, swaggered, to a raised platform in front of the disarray of men. Slowly, ever so deliberately, he tuned his guitar, taking far too long and annoying his audience to no end. When he finally began to play, the crowd was so relieved that they cheered. The musician smiled the cold smile again, played one agonizingly slow chord, then drew a pistol and fired at Spike.

            But Spike wasn't there. A shot rang from behind the man, and he winced as a bullet sank into his shoulder. He turned in his carefully measured manner to see Spike grinning his trademark careless smirk, holding a gun leveled at the man's back. The bar's occupants bailed their seats and crowded behind the bar or out the door. Spike waited while they filed out, then calmly stated, "Next bullet goes through your head. Willing to take that chance?" 

            Suddenly, the man threw back his head and laughed, a genuine smile plastered on his face. "Why don't we take this outside?" he asked, still smiling like a drunken duck. Spike shrugged, then made an 'after you' gesture toward the door. Chuckling, the man ambled out, stopping in the middle of the street and turning to face the green haired bounty hunter. 

            "Did you want a traditional ten-step draw or a plain old shoot-out?" he asked, his smile returning to its former cold state. 

            "Are you always this crazy?" Spike asked, scratching his head carelessly.

            "At least I'm giving you a choice on how to die," the man arrogantly replied. 

            Spike grinned. The man was cocky, possibly too cocky for his own good. The bounty hunter glanced up, mockingly pretending to ponder the strange man's question. He tapped a finger to his chin and brightened as if he had experienced an epiphany. However, when he looked back to the man he was no longer there. 

            "Dammit!" he hissed, "Lost the bounty _again, Spike. Ever gonna get it right?" He bolted down a nearby alley, silently chastising his carelessness as he went. Glancing around the narrow path, it was apparent that the man was not there. The only being present was a homeless person hunkered under a brown jacket. A jacket that looked oddly familiar…_

            Spike yanked the coat from the figure in the alley and exposed a girl that looked about sixteen. She glared at him coldly and reached for the jacket. He held it out of her reach tauntingly. Growling angrily, she started to her feet, but fell flat on her face almost instantaneously. The jeans and t-shirt she wore were nearly six sizes too big; she had tripped on the hem of her pants. Spike glanced at the cursing girl, wondering why on earth she was wearing his bounty head's clothing. 

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A.N.: So, what'd you all think? Kind of a cliffhanger, unless ya'll are good at second guessing authors. For those of you who like it, I should have the next chapter up within three days, homework and siblings permit (I really need to get my own computer). Please review for me, OK? Thanks for reading!

Ja Ne!

~The Infamous Kid Pixie


	2. Stains and Scars

_Title: Unknown Session #1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter: 2_

_Author: The Infamous Kid Pixie_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop or any rights thereof. Do not sue me._

_Author's Note: Because I managed to get the computer uninterrupted for two hours, I'm posting this chapter earlier than I said.__ Thanks very much to That Darn Punk and Nathaniel Hawthorne for reviewing me and for the criticism. I appreciate it, really. I'm not trying to argue with you, Nathaniel, but shouldn't you make a prairie oyster before you get so hammered you can't remember what goes in it? That's what I thought, but then, I'm probably wrong. OK, enough chatter, on with the story._

_Unknown Session #1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter Two_

            "So, tell me again, why do I have to come with you?"

            Spike's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. The girl from the street sat behind him in the Swordfish, handcuffed to her seat.

            "Because bounty heads don't just disappear into thin air and leave a little girl behind in their clothing, and until I find out what connection you have with this bounty head, you're coming with me," he replied shortly.

            "Oh. Could you maybe remove one of my handcuffs? I have this horrible itch on my nose, and I'd really like to scratch it," the girl commented. Spike rolled his eyes in despair.

            Since he had put the girl in her seat behind him, she had not stopped talking. To make matters worse, she toyed with everything, from her handcuffs to the hair on the back of Spike's head. It was cramped in the ship, too, and the combination of the bubbly girl and lack of space were driving Spike crazy. She had showed a moment of coldness in the alley, why couldn't she be like that now? When faced with sadism or perkiness, Spike would've taken sadism any day.

            "Hey!" the girl cried, pulling Spike's hair, "my nose still itches, you know!"

            "Would you be quiet for half a second and give me a minute to think?!" Spike growled. The girl grinned, unabashed, and immediately began talking again.

            "You're awfully tense, you ought to relax more. My name is Mickey, what's yours?" the girl, Mickey, as she called herself, asked.

            Spike sighed in resignation. "Spike," he answered. Mickey smiled.

            "It's a good name. So, Spike, where are we going, anyway?" she babbled. 

            "To the Bebop," Spike stated. Mickey cocked her head to one side, confused. 

            "Bebop?" she asked.

            "Yeah. Bebop. Over there. See it?" Spike inquired, pointing past the viewports. Mickey leaned over as far as the handcuffs would allow, smiled calmly, and settled back into her chair. 

            "A ship. The Bebop is a ship. Of course," she murmured, and began to giggle quietly. Spike cocked an eyebrow quizzically at her, but he was beyond trying to understand the way her mind worked. He simply docked the Swordfish in the Bebop with a slightly bemused look on his face.

*          *          *          *          *          *

            "So you're telling me that she just appeared out of nowhere in the bounty's clothes?!?"

            Spike grumbled. Now he had _two annoying women to deal with. "For the fortieth time, Faye, yes! That's exactly what happened."_

            "Well, where is she?" Faye growled. Spike shrugged noncommittally, pointing towards the Bebop's hangar.

            "I left her in the Swordfish," he said as he trekked to the fridge for a beer. After all, he never got to finish the one he'd started on Jupiter. 

            "Baka," Faye muttered, heading towards the Swordfish and the odd girl within it.

*          *          *          *          *          *

            Mickey sat inside the little red cruiser, bored out of her mind. The fuzzy haired man, Spike, had left her and she didn't know when he was coming back. She sighed crabbily and flopped back into her chair, when she heard a small click. Cautiously, she tugged on her handcuffs. The click sounded again. A smile formed across Mickey's face as she pulled a dagger out of her boot and picked the handcuffs open with it. Shortly, she was free from the makeshift prison and was roaming around the hangar. Twirling her dagger lazily, she thought about why she hadn't killed her captor with it while they'd been flying. It wasn't like she couldn't have snagged the controls and piloted the Swordfish herself. _I guess I just wanted to see what would happen if I went along with it, she thought. Her pants slipped down her hips a little as she slid the knife back into its sheath. "I've really got to see what I can do about these clothes," she mumbled to herself. _

*          *          *          *          *          *

            Faye wandered into the Bebop's hangar, still cursing Spike under her breath. How stupid of him, to leave a potential bounty unattended. Nobody was sure; she might have a bounty on her head even bigger than the one Spike had been after. As she climbed onto one of the Swordfish's wings to have a look inside the cockpit, she heard a slight padding sound behind her.

            Faye flipped around to see a pretty lilac haired girl staring at her. The girl was smiling in a rather odd way, almost as if she were trying not to cry. She flipped a dagger half-heartedly into the air, watched it twirl, and caught it lazily. 

            "Sorry if I startled you," the girl said brightly, "but the fuzzy haired guy left me locked up and I got bored. Does the knife bother you? I'll put it away." She bent down and swiftly restored the dagger to its sheath. Faye decided she liked this girl. She was collected and effervescent, despite the fact that she was being held as a prisoner of sorts.

            "Knifes don't bother me, little girl, guns are faster, and that's what I carry. What's your name?" Faye said.

            "Name's Mickey. I like you a lot better than Spike. He's grouchy," Mickey replied. 

            "Ignore Spike, he's just a jerk," Faye advised. "Hey, Mickey, how old are you?" 

            "Seventeen," replied Mickey. "You never did tell me your name, you know."

            "I know. I'm Faye," the older woman said. She lit up a cigarette and took a long drag from it. "You, Mickey, are going to come with me."

            "Yeah, OK, sure," Mickey said, suddenly sarcastic and suspicious. "Why would I trust you?"

            Faye laughed hysterically at the bold girl. "Well, if you want to stay in the hangar, that's fine with me," she giggled, wiping her eyes. "I thought you might want some food or something."

            Mickey's stomach took the mention of food as a cue to growl. The girl smiled sheepishly, saying, "Well, I am a little hungry…" Faye laughed. 

            "I know it. You look half starved, and the baggy clothes don't help. Puff on this," Faye said, tossing Mickey one of her cigarettes, "and we'll see about getting you some food and clothes that fit."

*          *          *          *          *          *

            Within a half hour, Mickey was outfitted with clothes and a good meal, and much to Spike and Jet's dismay, was wandering around the Bebop. Ed adored the girl, seeing her as a new source of entertainment. Conversely, Mickey annoyed Jet twice as much as she irked Spike, so much so that he even locked her in the bathroom for ten minutes before she broke her way out and started to scream at him. Faye stood by and laughed in delight, stating, "Now there's a girl after my own heart."

            After Jet had been sufficiently scolded, Mickey turned to Spike. "Well, what do you say we get straight down to business, shall we? Why am I here?" she asked.

            "I told you before; I want to know what connection you have with that bounty," Spike replied. 

            "I don't have a connection with the bounty," Mickey shot back.

            "Then why were you wearing his clothes?" Spike countered. Mickey glared.

            "How do you know they were his? I could just like baggy clothes, and I could just have happened to be wearing the same outfit he had on, did you think of that?" she snarled.

            "Or you could just happen to have been shot in the same place," Spike said, flashing a cocky smirk and throwing down the jacket and t-shirt she had been wearing previously. On the left shoulder of each garment was a small hole surrounded by what appeared to be blood. Mickey blanched. 

            "Let me see your shoulder, Mickey," Spike ordered, a mocking tone in his voice. Mickey's eyes narrowed to mere slits as she smiled coldly. She pulled the edge of her shirt down, revealing a round scar in the center of her left shoulder. 

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A.N.: So what'd you all think? Review for me, please. Thanks so much for reading! I should have the next chapter up within three days. Thanks ya'll!

Ja Ne!

*~Kid Pixie~*


	3. Stalemate

_Title: Unknown Session # 1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter: 1_

_Author: The Infamous Kid Pixie_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop. Don't sue me.___

_Author's Note: Come on know, ya'll, I feel neglected here! I haven't been reviewed since I first posted this story! You're horrible for my self esteem, you know that? Ah, well, whatever. I could go off on a rant, but I won't subject you all to that. Just enjoy the story, and if you want to, review it. God knows I'd appreciate it.  Anyways… Um, yeah. I can't think of much else to say, so I'll quit bothering you all. Here's the story._

_Unknown Session #1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter 3_

            Faye was the first to speak.

            "How…?" She muttered. Mickey's smile grew warm again and she shrugged her shirt back onto her shoulder. 

            "I'm surprised none of you knew. I thought I botched the job pretty badly, but no one seemed to be able to tell," she said.

            "Quit being so cryptic and tell us what's going on!" Jet commanded. Mickey grinned even wider, but didn't answer.

            "There'll be a time, doncha worry!" she giggled, and snatched the clothes Spike had thrown at her earlier. Then, before anyone could stop her, she had run into the bathroom and locked herself in. Faye bolted after her, but the door was sealed tight.

            "Mickey! Open the door! You have got to tell us what's going on! Mickey!" she screamed, pounding on the door. Spike stepped in, pushed Faye lightly to the side, and shot the lock. The door slid open, revealing Mickey.

            Except Mickey wasn't Mickey anymore. She was the tall man from Jupiter. He was smiling, but it wasn't the cold smile he wore on Jupiter. It was an expectant smile, as if he were waiting for something. 

            "Well?" he prompted, "Have you guessed it yet?"

            "You're a skin crawler…" Faye muttered, blanching.

            "Very good. I'm still Mickey, but I like this form better than my normal one. It's stronger," the man commented.

            "Skin crawling isn't even possible; it's a fairy tale," Spike grumbled.

            "No, you're wrong. You see, I was exposed to a lot of radiation at one point in my life due to an explosion. So my skin and bones can warp into new forms. Rather handy in my line of work," Mickey explained.

            "What do you do, anyway?!" Faye cried. She had lost any and all composure at the time a seventeen year old girl melted into a twenty something man. 

            "I am a professional thief. I steal things for people, and they pay me. That's why I have a bounty on my head in the first place," Mickey replied. She, or now he, walked over to the couch and stretched lazily onto it. He'd had enough sense to change back into his original clothes so he wouldn't tear the smaller ones. 

            "That's the matter at hand. We know what your connection to the bounty is now. And we can turn you in," Spike said through a cocky grin. 

            "Don't think so," Mickey shot back. "You see, when you turn me in, I won't be the man the bounty's on. I'll be little girl Mickey. The bounty isn't on her. And they won't believe that I'm a shape shifter, either. There's no test that'll prove it, and the stories of bounty hunters aren't exactly credible." 

            "We'll shoot you if you don't go along with us," Spike curtly replied. He smiled sardonically. "We are, after all, bounty hunters."

            "Shoot me," Mickey answered carelessly. "I'd rather be dead than in prison."

            "You're worth more alive to me at the moment. You're lucky," Spike answered.

            "No, I just happened to have delivered an effective stalemate. You can't kill me, but you won't let me leave here, either," Mickey said.

            "You said you had a bounty placed on you because you were a thief, Mickey," Faye said. "If you have the time, I'd like to know what the full story is."

            "I've got all the time in the world. I can't leave remember?" Mickey grumbled. Faye began to apologize, but Mickey stopped her. "It's OK, never mind. I was hired by some gang to root out information on some other gang. I took the form of one of the gang's members and stole the list of names of gang members. Evidently this guy, the real one, not me, betrayed the gang leaders and murdered them later, but that's irrelevant… what's with the face, Spike?"

            While he was talking, Spike had stiffened visibly. He shook his head slightly when Mickey noticed, stating simply, "Got a chill." 

            "Oh. Well, anyway, the gang was smart and knew that the information was stolen by a thief outside the group. I was sloppy and failed to make sure that the man didn't have an alibi. He did. The whole group was together that night. I also made the mistake of walking into a camera monitored area in this form. The leaders set of a bounty on my head. I guess they were trying to tie up any loose ends; they found out who had hired me and slaughtered the whole gang. They knew I'd seen the list, so to ensure secrecy, they bribed the police to activate my bounty," Mickey told them. Spike shifted his weight to the other foot.

            "Just out of curiosity, Mickey," he said, "what was the gang you pillaged the list from called?" 

            Mickey thought for a second, tipping his head back. "I don't remember for certain," he replied, "but I think it was called the Red Dragon Syndicate."

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A.N.: How's that for a cliff-hanger? I apologize for any sloppiness in this chapter; I only slept about three hours last night. I keep having this weird dream where I'm speaking Latin to people in a room. I don't even know Latin! The only reason I know I'm speaking Latin is because I talk in my sleep and one of my friends (or somebody, I don't remember) told me I was. Weird, no? I've always believed in reincarnation, and that just sort of settles it, right there. Oh, geez, I'm rambling. Well, review for me, please! Thanks!

Ja Ne!

*~Kid Pixie~*


	4. Death and Desolation

_Title: Unknown Session # 1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter: 4_

_Author: The Infamous Kid Pixie_

_Disclaimer: Don't sue me, I'm a broke little punk. Leave me alone. I don't own Cowboy Bebop._

_Author's Note:  OK, thanks for the reviews, ya'll! Amazing how I complain and stuff gets done! That actually worked in English class, where I complained about the amount of projects my grade had right in the middle of state standardized testing, and she pushed her project's due date back. Yay! LH-Chan, do not worry about not reviewing. Do not feel terrible. Don't lose sleep. Thanks for reviewing. Saotomealita, I apologize for spelling errors. I spell check my documents, but I'm too lazy to go over them manually, so whatever I missed is either a typo or some careless mistake the computer didn't catch. _

If it's not, oopsie, sorry. Thanks for reviewing. Now that I've talked your ears off, I'll just let you all read the story. Bye bye now!

_Unknown Session #1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter 4 _

            Immediately after Mickey's revelation, Spike muttered something about 'fresh air' and slouched off to the hangar. Faye raised her eyebrows, confused. They were in space. There was no 'fresh air' in space. She murmured a hasty goodbye to Mickey before rushing to the hangar after Spike.

            She found him leaning against the Swordfish, smoking. 

            "So much for fresh air," she called to him. He glanced up lazily.

            "There is no fresh air in space," he muttered. Faye laughed humorlessly.

            "I was thinking the same thing. You weren't exactly being subtle, 'fro-boy. What's wrong?" Faye inquired.

            "You want a cigarette?" Spike asked evasively. She took the cigarette, but she wasn't buying his ploy. 

            "You're avoiding the question, lunk-head," she smiled. "Care to answer me? What's up with you and this Dragon dealie?"

            "Demons from the past," Spike answered. Faye had a sassy comeback ready, but she swallowed it. Now was a time to shut up; no one ever pressured Spike for information on his past. It just wasn't done. Jet's roar jolted Faye back into reality in an instant.

            "Faye! Dammit, get in here and clean up this mess!" he howled. For once, the violet-haired woman didn't argue. She walked as quickly and quietly as she could from the awkward scene that she somehow created. 

            Spike, left alone with his thoughts, began to laugh hysterically. The cigarette dropped from his mouth as he doubled over in his mirth. Ed, watching from the doorway, cocked and eyebrow at him, shrugged, and went back to her hacking. As far as she could tell, he'd finally lost it. The bounty hunter stood up straight again, wiping tears of merriment from his eyes. He retrieved his cancer stick from the floor and drew from it. "I've got a bounty that Vicious wants," he snickered, and burst into all new fits of laughter. 

            "I fail to see what's so funny," Mickey's voice, female voice, rang out at him. He glanced up. She was back in female form. 

            "Vicious wants you dead," he chuckled. "Not only are you alive, you're in my ship." 

            "Why is that funny?" Mickey asked irritably. Spike simply chuckled some more.

            "Because I've inadvertently captured something he wants. Again. And he doesn't like that. It's only a matter of time before he comes after me for it," he chocked out between chortles. 

            "You really ought to have your head checked," Mickey commented carelessly, twirling a strand of lilac hair between her fingers. 

            "Don't you get it?" Spike asked. "Don't you see what's going to happen? There'll be death and desolation, to be sure. But which side gets it?" He brought his hands together as if holding an imaginary gun. Suddenly, quicker than Mickey could comprehend, he had looped an arm around her neck and pressed his pointed finger into her temple. He leaned close to her ear and whispered a single word to her.

            "Bang."

            "Are you crazy?!" Mickey shouted, looping out from under his arm. "You're laughing because you think you're going to die?!" 

            "Nope," Spike replied, now acting almost normal. "I'm laughing because his head is worth more than yours, little thief. And he will come here. And I will beat him." 

            "Right. Who is this Vicious, anyway?" Mickey demanded as she massaged her sore neck.

            "Someone from the Syndicate you stole from. He was pretty important, too," Spike answered. It appeared he was back to normal Spike mode.

            "Wait, wait, hold a sec…" Mickey stuttered. "He wasn't a dead-looking guy with whitish hair and a big bird of some sort, was he?" 

            Spike's eyebrows knit for a split second before he took a drag from his cigarette and blew it into the air. "Yeah," he muttered, a faraway look to him. "That's Vicious."

            "Well," Mickey muttered, "I hate to tell you this, but, well, the form I took…?"

            "Spit it out, Mickey," Spike chided, staring at the ceiling as if for patience. "The form you took when you stole the list from the Syndicate?" 

            "Yeah, that form. You see, the guy I modeled myself after saw me, and although he couldn't catch me, he swore that there would be a thousand holes in me before I died. He meant it. He'd do it. He swore to track me down, and he'd obliterate anyone who stood in his way. That form, I think…" Mickey's voice was suddenly low. Spike turned to look at her, but she wasn't herself again. She was tall, with dead eyes and dirty white hair. Spike dropped his cigarette again, this time in total shock. 

            "The man, this form, was Vicious, and he knows where I am."

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A.N.: Icky, crummy, chapter. I was rushed. Terribly sorry. If you hate it, tell me. If you don't, tell me that, too. I want feedback. I can't improve any if you all don't tell me what I'm screwing up. Anyways, next chapter should be up soon, I am going somewhere with this, worry not. Thanks everyone!

Ja Ne!

*~ Kid Pixie ~*


	5. Demands and Threats

_Title: Unknown Session # 1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter: 5_

_Author: The Infamous Kid Pixie_

_Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue. I wonder if lawyers actually buzz around here waiting for some poor amateur author to forget to say that. _

_Author's Note: Thanks to everybody who reviewed me. You guys are great, really, I appreciate it. Sorry I haven't written in nearly a week, I've been swamped with homework. I would've written last night, but Dixie Artist stayed the night and I doubt she would've wanted to see me type all night. __Anyway, I'm going to write now._

_Unknown Session # 1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter 5_

            Spike almost swallowed his cigarette. "Mickey," he coughed, "Don't use that form." Mickey/Vicious nodded, then melded back into normal Mickey.

            "I understand. I hate using it. It's like being dead all the time," she stated, shuddering slightly. Faye's banshee shriek suddenly ripped through the hangar, demanding Spike's presence at the tomato. Since Mickey had nothing better to do, she followed Spike as he trudged to meet Faye.  

            "Well?" Spike prompted the blue haired woman. She pointed at Ed's computer with her boot. 

            "You got a call," she said around her cigarette. Spike rolled his eyes at her and sat down in front of the tomato. Ed opened a video link and sat down on the floor with the bounty hunter and the bounty head. Mickey leaned over  Spike's shoulder as he opened the video window, but hid behind him and pulled Ed after her when a familiar face appeared. 

            "Spike."

            "Vicious."

            "Where's the girl, Spike?" Spike smirked.

            "What girl?" he asked.

            "Do not attempt to fool me. I know you have her. Bring her to me, or all of you will die," the zombie on the screen threatened.

            "I've heard that before," Spike retorted. Vicious snarled.

            "I have a dozen ships surrounding you, waiting my order to fire. You will be watched. You have twenty four hours," he barked. The screen went black, and an address popped up. 

            _Cathedral at St. Mary's_

_            District 14556_

_            Mars_

            Mickey cautiously crawled from behind Spike. "We're in trouble now, aren't we?" she asked. Spike sighed.

            "You could say that," he muttered. He really needed a cigarette. Only he couldn't find them. He turned around to find that Mickey had snatched them and was now smoking one.

            "I thought you didn't smoke," he commented, taking the pack from her. 

            "You think too much," she shot back. 

            "You realize we have to go to this place, right?" Faye asked. Mickey eyed her accusingly. 

            "Eavesdropper. Yeah, I know," she grumbled. Faye flopped down on the floor next to Ed, Spike, and Mickey.

            "You aren't going without help," she said slyly. Edward grinned.

            "Edward will help! Faye-Faye too!" She squealed. Faye rolled her eyes exasperatedly. 

            "Just Faye! Not Faye-Faye, just Faye. Say it once, OK?" she complained. Jet walked into the room at that moment, staring at the empty couch and then at the assortment of people on the floor. He scratched his head.

            "Did I miss something?" he asked. The group on the floor stared at one another for an instant. Maybe it was because of the sheer insanity of worrying about sitting on the floor instead of the couch when it was highly possible that they would all  be dead in a day, or maybe it was just Jet's face, but they all burst out laughing. Jet shook his head and looked to the ceiling as if for patience. Ed ambled over with the tomato on her head and played back the message while swaying and giggling madly. Jet read it, sat down with the rest of them, and promptly began laughing, too. 

            As suddenly as it had began, the strange act stopped. The group looked around at each other again and quickly jumped from the floor, each giving an excuse to be somewhere else in the ship, with the exception of Ed. She was tracing Vicious' message on the tomato.

*          *          *          *          *          *

            Spike didn't really have a purpose for wandering into the hallway that held sleeping quarters, but he didn't have anywhere else to go. He leaned lazily against a door, searching his pockets for any spare cigarettes. When he couldn't find any, he assumed Mickey had taken them again and started to go find her.

            "Stay," said a voice from the doorway across from him. It was dark, but he recognized the voice as Faye's. "I've got cigarettes and a lighter."

            Spike smiled despite himself. "For once, I'm actually glad you're here," he joked. "I don't have to go find a smoke."

            "So nice to know I'm appreciated," Faye muttered, only half joking. "All I've got is Marlboro Reds. Good?"

            "Good," replied Spike, lighting one. "You'd think," he said, "With as bad as these things are for you, and as long as we've known that, that they would have been outlawed before 2010."

            "Humans are foolish," Faye stated. "Are you really going to give up Mickey to Vicious?"

            "Nope. I'm going to fight Vicious. I owe him that," Spike answered simply, as if he were commenting on the weather.

            "You might die." Faye's tone was slightly strained.

            "Yep," Spike said noncommittally. 

            "You're an idiot, do you know that?" Faye inquired, attempting to start the banter she knew so well. Anything that would help her to feel more normal. 

            "Humans are foolish," Spike shot back, using Faye's own words against her. Faye smiled sadly in defeat. As he walked away, she muttered to his back.

            "Some more than others."  
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A.N.: So, what'd you all think? Let me know! Review me, please! I'm sorry for the weird interludes with the Bebop crew, but I thought they weren't being very human in this fic, and humanity was needed. I'll try to have the next chapter up in a week. Thanks, ya'll!

Ja Ne!

*~Kid Pixie~*


	6. Angel's Serenade

_Title: Unknown Session # 1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter: 6_

_Author: The Infamous Kid Pixie_

_Disclaimer: Really, I'm not lying to you, I really do not own Cowboy Bebop or any of its rights. Seriously. Do I look like I would lie to you? *Smiles winningly* I do? Oh. Sorry. _

_Author's Note: Thanks for reviewing me, everyone. To FiveStarSellout, yes, I am four-stinking teen. ^_^ Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks for pointing out my 'y'all' error, too. I knew that, really, but I wasn't paying attention and a slipped up. Oops. Sorry. I've had an hour of homework a night, so I'm sorry this took so long. Onward to the story!_

_Unknown Session #1: Identity Crisis_

_Chapter 6_

            Spike lounged against a column of the massive cathedral. St. Mary's was gargantuan. Vicious had made sure it appeared that Spike had arrived first. Spike, however, was not dumb. He had found the seven sentries and tranquilized them before they could raise alarm that he was there. It was a futile gesture and he knew it. Vicious had known he was there for ages; he was simply playing games with Spike. 

            The green haired bounty hunter whistled nonchalantly. If Vicious didn't care, neither did he. 

            "The girl, Spike, where is she?" Vicious' voice drifted from behind another column. Spike grinned carelessly. He'd made sure Mickey was with Faye in the Redtail, outside in case he needed backup.

            "What girl?" Spike called, still feigning ignorance. He wondered how long he could keep that up. 

            "The little lavender haired girl who was hiding behind you when we spoke yesterday," Vicious barked. Damn, he hadn't been fooled.

            "I don't know, she ran off yesterday," Spike replied. At that moment, the cathedral door swung open with a resounding crash and Mickey strode in. 

            "Mickey! He'll kill you!" shouted Spike. Mickey smiled coldly at him and walked straight toward Vicious. Vicious gave Mickey a smile just as chilly as the one she'd given Spike. 

            "Hello, Mickey," he said to her.

            "Hey, Vicious," she replied. It all clicked in Spike's head.

            "You set us up," he accused her. "You led Vicious to us." Mickey looked genuinely remorseful.

            "After I met you, I really didn't want to. You all were so good to me. But so it goes," Mickey sighed. 

            "Turncoat!" Spike spat. Mickey suddenly looked violated.

            "Hey, now! It's not that bad! As far as I know, he just wanted to speak with you," she yelled defensively.

            Spike and Vicious replied simultaneously, "You must be an idiot."

            Mickey turned from side to side, looking first at Vicious, and then at Spike. "Why…?" She asked him.

            "Vicious lied to you, Mickey," Spike explained. "He wants to kill me. He used you."

            Mickey flipped around, eyeing Vicious suspiciously. "You lied to me? You used me?" She growled. 

            Vicious smiled, pulled out his katana, and ran Mickey through with it. "In a word," he said, "yes."

            Mickey gaped at him for a second before her face turned cold. "I loved you," she barked. "You betrayed me!" With that, she toppled to the ground. 

            Spike stared for a moment before emptying his pistol at Vicious. He deflected every shot, and Spike paused only to silently praise his skill with a katana. During the pause, he noticed Mickey struggling with something on the ground. As he looked carefully, he realized it was a grenade. He ducked behind a pillar just as Mickey threw it at Vicious. 

            Debris swirled around the column, taking out statues of angels and saints as it went. The column took the brunt of the blow, but Spike did catch a stone through his shoulder. Miraculously, Mickey lay on the ground nearly untouched. Spike scanned the room for Vicious, then, finding the cathedral empty, he went to Mickey's side. 

            She lay smiling, frequently coughing up blood. When she spoke, her voice had a bubbling sound under it. 

            "I missed him," she whispered, her voice failing. "He got away. Saw him leave out the back, I did. I'm sorry…"

            "You'll live. Now quit talking, you'll waste your strength, and you're going to need it," Spike ordered, but he knew it was too late for her.

            "Don't lie to me. I know I'm dying," she smiled, coughing harder this time. "Listen, I'm sorry I brought you here, honestly I am. He tricked me. I loved him and trusted him and he tricked me..." 

            "Mickey…" Spike mumbled, trying to staunch the blood coming from her stomach. _Too late, too late, his mind screamed at him over and over.  _

            "Got to go Spike," she breathed, her voice faded completely. "The angels are calling. Can't you hear them? They sing so beautifully…" 

            As the girl grinned contentedly, her body began to warp. Form after form it took, until finally it regressed back into its original shape: the innocent little girl that was Mickey. She smiled again, looking at Spike with faraway eyes. She muttered calmly, looking for all the world like she was the happiest girl on earth. Spike leaned over to catch her last words. 

            "That did it. Sorry about your bounty, but I'm gone," she mumbled. "See you, space cowboy."

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A.N.: That did it, y'all. I'll be posting more of these little beauties, if you like, but that was just me rambling. Sorry for the choppiness of this last chapter, I'm wiped out at this point from too much studying. Well, let me know if you liked it, and if you want me to write any more stories (well, I'm writing anyway, but I'd like doing better with approval n_n ). Well, thanks everyone!

*~Kid Pixie~*


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